1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to heatsinks for cooling electronic components.
2. Background of the Related Art
Electronic components generate heat as a product of consuming electrical power. An example of a heat-generating electronic component in a computer system is a processor, such as a central processing unit (CPU), which executes software instructions from computer programs. A CPU generates a considerable amount of heat as a result of performing numerous high-speed operations required to execute the software instructions. The computer industry is continually innovating cooling systems specific to the unique and demanding cooling requirements of CPUs.
A heat sink is a type of cooling system component that is commonly used to cool a CPU. A heat sink conducts heat away from a CPU, and has cooling fins that provide surface area for airflow to remove the heat by convection. A variety of heat sink designs are known in the art, some of which incorporate a vapor chamber to improve cooling. A vapor chamber is typically a sealed vessel containing working fluid that vaporizes in the vicinity of the hot component. The vaporized working fluid condenses on a cooler surface of the vapor chamber and returns to the vicinity of the hot component. This vaporization and condensation cycle improves heat transfer from the hot component to the heat sink. A heat pipe may be regarded as a specific type of vapor chamber in the form of a sealed pipe or tube.